Parachute harness



May 14, 1-946. M. H. ST. .CLAIR 0,

PARACHUTE H ARNES S v Filed May 10, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Mil5012, H 52. Czz'r ATTO May 14, 1946. M. H. sT. CLAIR I BARACHUTE HARNESSI Filed May l0,' 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR' Wilton fiJzfChr WM? 'I'ORN YS Patented May 14, 1946 UNITED Sr-Ar as PATENT orrics PABACHU TEHARNESS 'Milton H. St. Clair, Sussex, N. J., assignor to StanleySwitlik, Trenton, N. J.

This invention relates to a parachute body harness.

An object of the invention resides in the Provision of a body harnesswhich-will lie relatively loosely on the body of the user when noconsiderable pulling force i applied to the risers and which willautomatically be tightened on the body of the user under the influenceof a pulling force appliedto the risers.

A further object of the'invention resides in so constructing the devicethat when in use the shoulder straps and lap engaging portion of. theharness will automatically tighten on the user under the influence ofpulling force applied to the risers, and wherein the shoulder straps andlap engaging portions will automatically loosen when the pulling forceon the risers is relieved.

,A further object of the invention resides in the construction ofadevice of the character above set forth wherein adjustments may be madeto adapt the harness to bodies of various sizes.

A further object of the invention resides in so constructing the devicethat the shock of opening will be transmitted to the user over a largearea around the lap of the user below the buttocks, and so that theweight of the user will be supported by contact of a portion of theharness with the neither the shock of opening nor the supporing of theweight of the user will be applied to the crotch of the user.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription of m invention progresses, the invention consists in thecombination and arranging of the parts later described herein andrecited in the claims. It is to be understood, however,-that I do notwish to be limited to the precise details of construction illustrated inthe drawings and described in the specification except insofar as thatlimitation is necessitated by the claims, because it will be obvious toone skilled in the art that many details of construction may be changedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding thescope of the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of my invention lookingfrom'the front of the harness with the ends of the lap engaging portionsfolded over toward each other;

Figure 2 is a similar view with the lap engaging portions foldedawayfrom each other, the. showing of part of the harness, however, inthis view being omitted; 7 4

Figure 3 is a view of the harness in place On a user is in a sittingposture;

Figure 4 is a view of the harness in position on a user when the latteis being suspended during a descent.

I The form of the harness that I have illustrated in the drawingincludes risers I to which adapters 2 are secured. The risers at theirupper ends pass through the adapters 2' Y and extend slidablyshoulderstraps form loops 4 which carry slidable tached. Thev degree ofsliding of the shoulder 3 straps 3 through the rings 2, and consequentlythe tightening of the shoulder straps by pulling force applied to thesuspension webs 6, is limited by stops 1 on the shoulder straps.

The risers are extended downwardly to form a swing and include abuttocks engaging portion 8 while the shoulder straps extend downwardlyas at 9 and are secured to the buttocks engaging portion 8 of the swing.These portions 8 and 9 of the swing and the shoulder straps are securedto a relatively Wide web I9 by stitching or other suitable means.IAdapters II are adjustably carried by the risers I near their lowerends. A lap strap I2 is secured adjustably' at its ends I3 and I4 tothe'adapters l I. From one of these adapters the lap strap passesslidably through a ring I5 that is carried by a buttocks engaging strapI6, which is secured to the web 10. Thence the lap strap passes slidablythrough a separable fastenerelement I1 and thence to the web ID, whereit is secured at !8 by stitching or other means that runs along the web,which stitching also secures it to the lower ends of the shoulder-strapsand the buttocks engaging portion of the swing. At the other end of theweb I0 the lap strap I2 extends from the end of the web Iii slidablthrough a complemental separable fastener element I9 and thenceto theother adapter I I. Thus the lap strap forms loops at the opposite endsof the weblil.

The complemental separable fastener elements I I1 and I 9 are secured toweb flaps 20 and 2| respectively and the loops I2 are held in place byloosely passing under guide straps 22, which are secured to the webflaps-Miami 2|. A back strap 23 extends between the risers I and is madepreferably, although not necessarily, of elastic materialComplemental-breast strap sections 24 and 25 are mounted on the risersbetween the back strap 23 and the adapters 2, each being provided with aseparable fastening element 2-6.

'tighten the shoulder straps. on the user.

When the harness is in place On a' user, as in the position shown inFigure 3, for instance, the separable fastener elements 26 will beengaged to locate the breast strap across the chest of the user, theshoulder straps will pass over the shoulders of the user, and thencedownwardly over the back in crossed relation to the lap engagingportion, the separable fastener elements I! and 19 of the lap engagingportion will be engaged and lie over the front of the lap of the user;the.suspension webs of course will extend over the shoulders of the userwhen a back pack is in use to the pack which may, if desired, be carriedby a chair.

When the user is in a sittingposition the shoulder straps and the lapengaging portionswillembrace the body of the user loosely, which adaptstl e harness admirably as a harness for axchair parachute since the usermay comfortably wear the harness without experiencing any bindingeffect.

When, however, the userof theharness jumps, the harness willautomatically tighten on his body into the position shown in Figure 4 ofthe drawings.

The pulling force applied'to the suspension Web 6 will lengthen theloops 4 at the junction between the risers and the shoulder straps andwill At the same time it will pull upwardly on the risers and this forcewill be transmitted to the lap strap which is anchored to the Web .10but isslidab-le through the rings 15 and the :separable fastenerelements I! and 19. The result of this action will be the tightening ofthe lap engaging portion around the lower part or the legs of .the bodyof the user. Thus the torso engaging portion of r the harness will betightened on :the body of the user and the lap engagin portion "willalso be tightenedonthe body of the userin-such manner that the shock ofopening and'the weight of the suspension will be applied to the outsideof the legsof the user below the buttocks.

The adjustment of the .lap strap for a :particular user is made so thatwhen the user'is in a substantially vertical position during descent thela strap will be drawn tightly about the legs of the user and therewillbe'some excessof length of the risers at the buttocks engagingportion of the swing, so that the weightof the person will betransmitted to the risers through the lap strap rather than through thebuttock engagi'ng portion of the swing. However, if the user leansbackwardly, throwing himself into a sitting posture, this excess lengthof the buttocks engaging portion of the swing will be taken up and thisportion of the swing, as well as the lap strap; will take the weight ofthe user.

The harness is divided fundamentally into two portions, one a torsoengaging portion and the other what I have termed a'lap engagingportion, and each is automatically tightened on the body of the userunder the influence of a pullingforce applied to the risers by thesuspension webs.

The portion 'of the harness which surrounds the two legs of the user'asa "single unit I- have termed'a lap engaging portion to-distinguishthis construction from those conventional leg 'straps each of which'passes around the leg of a .user at the crotch and consequently appliestheshock of Opening and the weight of suspension-to the crotch of .theuser as distinguished from the application to the legsofthe' user as aunit below the buttocks, and .so whenI refer to lap engaging portion inthe claim 'this distinction-is to be borne in mind, and when I refer toa thigh engaging portion I intend a broader expression of my invention.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a harness which Will lieloosely on the body of a user when no force is applied to the risers,which makes it admirably adapted for. use in connection with a chairparachute pack, but of course does not limit it to such use, and one inwhich the torso engaging portion of the harness automatically tightenson the body and the lap engaging portion automatically tightens on thebody below the buttocks when a pulling force is applied to the risers bythe suspension webs. Moreover, when the weight of the user is relievedfromtheharness at the end of a descent, the harness automaticallyloosens upon the body of the user so 'thatit may be quickly detached bythe disengagement of the complemental separable fastener elements of thechest strap and the lap engaging portion.

What I claim is:

l. A parachute harness including combined risers and shoulder straps, alap embracing portion attached to the .risers, suspension webs attachedto the combined risers and shoulder straps, and means operable under theinfluence of pulling force applied to the suspension webs for tighteningthe combinedrisers and shoulder straps and the lap embracing portion onthe body of the user.

.2. A parachute body harness including risers, adjust-able shoulderstraps extending from the risers, adjustable lap embracing loopsextending from the risers, complemental separable fasteners for securingthe said loops together over the lap of the user, suspension webs, andmeans operable under the influence of the pulling force on the"suspension Webs for shortening the effective lengths of the shoulderstraps and the lap embracing'loops.

3. A parachute body harness including risers, torso-embracing strapsextending from the risers, lap embracing loops extending from therisers, complemental separable fasteners for securing said loops overthe lap of the user, suspension webs, and means operable-under theinfluence of the pulling force applied to the suspension Webs forshortening the effective lengths of said loops.

4. A parachute body harness including risers, suspension webs extendingtherefrom, seat straps, one of said seat straps being connected with therisers at its ends, havingloops therein and having slidable connectionwith another of said seat straps, and complemental separable fastenersslidably oarried'bysaid loops whereby when pulling "force is applied tothe suspension webs the seat straps willbe tightened on the user.

5. .A parachute body harness including risers, suspension webs extendingtherefrom, seat straps, one of said seat straps being adjustablyconnected with the risers at its ends, having loops therein, and havingslid-able .connection with another of said seat-straps,-and complementalseparable fasteners slidably carried by said loops whereby when pullingforce is applied to the. suspension Webs the seatstraps will betightened on the user.

6. A parachute body harness including risers, torso embracing strapsextending from the risers, a seat strap, an adapter adjustably carriedby each riser, a second seat strap adjust-ably attached at its ends tosaid adapters, slidably anchored to the first mentioned seat strap andhaving loops therein, and complemental separable fasteners slidablycarried by said loops.

7. A parachute body harness including risers, torso embracing strapsextending from the risers,

a buttocks engaging portion, a strap attached to I the risers at itsends, having slidable attachment to the buttocks engaging portion andhaving loops therein, and'complemental separable fasteners slidablycarried by said loops and adapted to secure the loops over the lap ofthe user.

8. A parachute body harness including risers, torso embracing strapsextending from the risers, a buttocks engaging portion, a strap attachedadjustabl to the risers at its ends, having slidable attachment tothebuttocks engaging portion and having loops therein, and complementalseparable fasteners slidably carried by said loops and adapted to securethe loops over the lap of the user.

9. A parachute body harness including a swing having risers and abuttocks engaging portion, adapters secured adjacent the upper ends ofthe risers, shoulder straps extending from the risers and slidablethrough said adapters to form loops adjacent the adapters, suspensionwebs slidably engaged with said loops, the shoulder straps beingextended to and engaged with the buttocks engaging portion of the swing,adapters carried by the risers adjacent their lower ends, a strapattached at its ends to. the last mentioned adapters, rings secured tothe buttocks engaging portion of the swing, the last mentioned strapslidably passing through said rings and having fixed relation to saidbuttocks engaging portion of the swing to form loops, and separablecomplemental fasteners slidably carried by said loops.

10. A parachute body harness including a swing having risers and abuttocks engaging portion, c

. by said 100135.

MILTON H. ST. CLAIR.

